For The Better
by SiriuslyGeorgia
Summary: The 2nd of May 2017 sees the nineteenth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, and also Victoire Weasley's seventeenth birthday. Victoire makes a touching speech, Ted Lupin wants a private word and Grandma Molly is oh-so-proud. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK.**

Victoire Weasley could barely comprehend the devastation that had struck the Wizarding World before she was even born, but she knew all too well the impact it had on her whole family (and Ted, she added mentally, we're not technically related). Therefore, she appreciated how difficult it must be for no-one to even mention the Battle of Hogwarts on its nineteenth anniversary.

Still, she was old enough now not to miss the sad glances they shared, so she stood up and relied on her diluted Veela blood to bring attention to her. It worked; as soon as she pushed her chair back, Ted's head turned in her direction, closely followed by the rest of her large family. Victoire took a deep breath, smiled reassuringly at the confused look on her mother's face and began speaking.

"I know this is my seventeenth birthday, but that doesn't mean that we can skip our annual one minute silence. I never had the chance to meet any of the wonderful people who died at Hogwarts nineteen years ago, or any of those who died in the Wars. But I know that each and every one of those people gave their lives so that everyone, so that I, have a brighter future. For that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you, James, Lily, Sirius, Albus, Alastor, Remus, Nymphadora - sorry - Tonks, Uncle Fred and the countless others. You did not die in vain; the only reason everyone around this table is here, healthy, happy, alive is because of every single one of you. So, if everyone would please raise their glasses and toast to these amazing witches and wizards who did us all proud." Victoire raised her first goblet of Firewhiskey and led her family in a chorus of 'cheers'. Once all goblets had been returned to the table, everyone's eyes were again on Victoire. Nodding gently, she started the one minute silence. Still standing, she took in the tear filled eyes around the table, and felt tears well up in her own eyes as she witnessed her grandmother silently sobbing.

Once a minute was up, Victoire took her seat.

Her Uncle Harry cleared his throat, nearly crying himself. "Now, a toast for Victoire Weasley, an incredibly mature and special adult."

"Cheers!" echoed voices from all around the table.

Holding a handkerchief with one hand, Grandma Molly waved her wand with the other. Victoire smiled as a giant three tiered cake with a blazing 17 floating above it appeared on the table along with a huge selection of food that half the family had been slaving over all day.

Dinner passed with little disruption (except the minor incident when James and Fred nearly blew up the cake), and no mention of that day nineteen years before.

Once the plates had been cleared away, Uncle Percy announced, "We'd better get you kids back to Hogwarts."

Victoire groaned along with the rest of her Hogwarts-age cousins.

"Do we have to go?" Rose complained.

Aunt Hermione chuckled at her daughter's question. "Rose, you know the rules. You get the second of May off only if you're back before curfew."

After a few more parental urges, all the children trooped inside The Burrow. Victoire was just about to join the crowd around the fireplace when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Ted looking down at her with his usual, though not permanent, blue eyes.

"Talk to me for a minute?" He asked, gesturing back outside.

Victoire glanced behind her. Her dad was leaning against the doorframe between the hallway in which she and Ted stood in and the dining room which held the fireplace. Bill nodded slightly at his daughter, so Victoire allowed Ted to lead her outside.

As he led her around the corner, Victoire raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Less chance of James butting in."

She didn't think that completely answered her unvoiced question, and was about to demand further explanation when Ted spoke.

"What you said before…" he began. "It was -"

"You don't have to say anything." Victoire said; sensing Ted was struggling with his words.

The Metamorphmagus just shook his head. "It was beautiful. You were absolutely right; they died for us. My parents, my mum especially I think, would've loved you. I know I didn't know her, but…" Pausing, Ted tried to compose himself.

"Teddy, stop." Victoire said softly as she leaned against the wall. "You know her, you know them. They're still living through their stories and through those that love them."

Ted smiled. "Thanks, Vic, it's just hard… especially today." His smile faltered. "Sorry, sorry, it's your birthday, I shouldn't be saying this."

"You're allowed to feel sad on the anniversary of your parents' deaths, regardless of something as silly as my birthday."

"Your birthday isn't silly Vic, don't think that." Ted said, taking a step closer to Victoire.

For the first time that day, Victoire's composed mask slipped slightly. "I hate my birthday," she confessed quietly, closing her eyes. "I hate the way everyone's so sad, but tries to pretend they aren't for my sake. I feel so guilty. I wish -"

Ted, however, didn't get to hear Victoire's wish as his mouth was suddenly against hers. Taken aback, her eyes widened momentarily before she shut them and leaned in automatically.

"Don't feel guilty." Ted murmured against Victoire's lips.

Victoire pushed back slightly to look Ted in the eye. "Don't feel like you don't know your parents." She countered.

"Deal." Ted promised as he ducked his head to capture Victoire's lips once more.

One of Victoire's hands was in Ted's electric blue hair (her favourite shade of his, as it matched his usual eye colour), the other on his back. Both of his hands rested on the wall either side of her head.

"Victoire, are you coming? Oh my god!" squealed a voice from miles away.

Instantly Teddy and Victoire broke apart, the latter with a faintly irritated expression, the former with a pinkish red twinge to the ends of his hair.

"Sorry!" Victoire's sister, Dominique exclaimed. "I didn't realise… actually, now that I think about it, Dad did have a smirk on his face when he said you were out here. Anyway, Vic, you'd better hurry up and detach yourself from Lupin before Professor Longbottom gets annoyed at the whole extended family parading through his office."

Victoire cleared her throat, looking pointedly at her sister, then at her clearly embarrassed companion.

"Er, well I'd better get going. Have fun you too but not too much fun because you'd better be back in the Common Room in ten minutes Victoire Weasley or else I'll tell everyone about what I've just seen." With a wink, Dominique flounced back around the corner of The Burrow.

Turning back to Ted, Victoire grimaced. "Sorry about Dom, you know how she is. Can't stop talking…"

"Would you mind if she tells everyone?" Ted asked, looking at a hanging basket above Victoire's head.

"Well, that depends." Victoire shrugged, attempting nonchalance.

"On…?" prompted Ted.

"On whether this was a one-time thing or not."

Ted hesitated before answering. Victoire saw his entire hair flash pink-y red before fading back to its previous blue. "Or not?"

Abandoning her nonchalance, Victoire grinned.

"Although," began Ted. "We probably shouldn't tell everyone right now. I don't want to feel the full force of the Weasley-Potter's just yet."

Laughing, Victoire put her arms around Ted's neck. She paused, debating her next words. "You're right," she finally said into his collar. "Your parents would've loved me."

Ted kissed Victoire's forehead. "I'm also right in saying you shouldn't feel guilty for today being your birthday. It gives everyone something positive to think about, not just the losses we suffered."

"I guess. And something extra positive came out of this birthday." Victoire mused as she stepped away.

"Really?" Ted asked. "What was that?"

Victoire jokingly swatted Ted's chest and sighed. "I'd better go and give Dom the details before she opens her big mouth. It's going to be so long before I see you again."

"I'll write to you, and we'll see each other in summer." Ted promised.

They kissed again, briefly, before Victoire left him standing alone in the garden.

As she made her way inside, she noticed her dad stood in the same position as she'd seen him last. She looked at Bill questioningly, silently demanding to know why he let her go out there with Ted if, as Dominique inferred, he knew what was going to happen.

"You're an adult now, Vic, and you couldn't have found anyone better than our Ted."

Victoire smiled as she made her way over to the fireplace. Just as she was about to grab a handful of Floo powder, she was enveloped in a hug.

"You're so amazing, Victoire," Molly said as she released her eldest grandchild. "Everyone would've been so proud. I bet they're all looking down right now, glad the world they helped save shaped a wonderful witch like you."

Victoire quickly swiped at her eyes, glad all of the other kids had already returned to Hogwarts. She thanked her grandma, waved goodbye to her various aunts and uncles, and stepped into the fire. She let the green flames engulf her and take her away from Ted, away from the sadness that always shrouded her birthday with renewed happiness. She had only left Hogwarts that morning, but it felt like a lot had changed during those few hours, for the better.

**A/N: This is my first next-gen fic, and I never, before a few days ago, contemplated writing anything remotely to do with Victoire and Ted so I hope I did it justice. Thanks for reading and drop me a review if you can!**


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